Men At Work
by The Ladies Luck
Summary: A collection of oneshots and drabbles centred around the Cross Guard, hence the title. Drabble 4: New Moon
1. A Name

**A Note From Lady Bad Luck: **Here goes the first of my Cross Guard drabbles. It might be a bit vague, but keep in mind that there's more to come.

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Men At Work

"So they're called the 'Chess Pieces'."

"Looks like it. Dirty great skull on a chess board for their crest as well."

"Crazy. Who'd name themselves after a game?"

"Chess Pieces, obviously."

"Like I didn't know that already…"

"So what's ours?"

"Our what?"

"Our name, stupid. So what d'you think? Danna?"

"Huh? Oh, a name? That's easy, we're the Cross Guard."

"Cross Guard? Sounds better than 'Chess Pieces', at least. Why?"

"We've got a cross on our coat of arms, and we're guarding the peace of MAR Heaven. What fits better that that?"

_Silence._

"True enough. Here's to the Cross Guard, guys. If no-one else'll step up, we'll do it, and if we cant, then the whole world's screwed. No pressure."

"…"

"Shut up, man! Never lettin' you make a toast again."

_And the sound of drunken laughter filled the night._

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	2. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

Th**e second of my Cross Guard drabbles. Now, it needs to be noted that these drabbles don't really follow any sort of order whatsoever. I might jump from Second War-times Cross Guard, to First War-times, and forward to several years after the Second War.**

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**You're Gonna Go Far, Kid**

Danna had been wandering in the wilds for several days before Alan found him. His blonde hair was matted and horrendously tangled, his blue eyes were bright and impossibly huge, and he wore such an expression of innocent wonder and glee that at first, Alan thought he'd summoned a child.

But no, Danna was a man, even if he was unusually short. In the times to come he would prove his worth over and over again.


	3. Danna vs The Trees, Part 1

**Here goes the third installment of Men At Work. This time, Danna gets into a spot of trouble regarding a tree.**

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**Danna vs. the Trees, Part 1**

The War Games were to start in three hours, but the great majority of the Chess Pieces were completely unconcerned. Reginlief Castle, which they'd taken over to use as their base, was bustling with people wanting to take a crack at them, and yet no-one had yet attacked the several rooks and pawns that were lazing around outside and catching some quick sun while they waited.

Nothing much had happened for maybe half an hour, and the sunbathers were just starting to relax and sink into blessed boredom, when a crack echoed like a gunshot through the warm summer air. Outside the castle gates, several massive old pine trees stood- and that would have been all well and good normally, but a combination of old age, heaviness and a stray attack impacting on its base had combined, and now the tallest of the old giants was slowly keeling over.

It seemed to take an age to fall onto the castle wall. The Chess Pieces and castle denizens scattered, some diving off the walltop in order to escape. Screams of fright filled the air, and when the tree trunk hit the wall with an almightly crash, stone and masonry sprayed everywhere as it pulverized the walltop underneath.

Silence fell, as the tree groaned, and settled into its new position. Silence, that is, except for a strange, keening noise emanating from the smaller branches near the top of the tree. The Chess Pieces stared in confusion.

"DANNA!" Someone suddenly bellowed, and the keening noise stopped. As one, the Chess Pieces turned to stare at the man who had just dashed into the courtyard, skidding to a halt underneath the tree and looking up at the fallen giant. "ARE YOU OKAY?!" he called again, cupping his hand around his mouth for extra volume.

A despondent moan drifted out of the branches. "Somewhat…"

And amid the titters of the assembled Chess Pieces, the Cross Guards somehow managed to rescue their leader from the clutches of a fallen tree.


	4. New Moon

**A Note From Lady Bad Luck:** I tried to do something different this time, and I'm not sure whether or not it worked. Your thoughts?

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_**New Moon**_

_There was a new moon on the night before Danna lost his life._

He should have known, in retrospect. He should have done something, anything. He should have stopped Danna from fighting- the man had more to live for than any of the other Cross Guards. It wasn't even Danna's war, and now he was dead because of it.

_The new moon floats, black and invisible above the desolate land. _

"It's not fair!"

Alviss is wailing, and it's no surprise- the boy had all but adopted Danna as his new father. In their minds, the Cross Guards still at Reginlief Castle agree with his words, but they're old enough, wise enough in the ways of the world to know that life is seldom fair.

Still, they wish they could wail along with the boy.

"_Danna!"_

_And the new moon burns with the darkness of the despair of those left in the land._

Alviss died a little inside that night.


End file.
